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The goal of this research is to compare the traditional and industrial methods in production of sour orange juice and to reach the optimum conditions for juice color maintenance. In the present study the juice was collected from three stages of sour orange juice production line namely prior to pasteurization process (UNP), following pasteurization and homogenization (PH) and after supplementing the juice with standard quantity of sodium metabisulfit (PHS). The juice from all three stages was poured into dark color air tight seal glass bottles. The samples were stored under ambient temperature (~ 20^oC and 35^oC), cold room temperature (~ 4^oC) and freezing (-18^oC). Various physicochemical characteristics including pH, total solid content (Bx), HMF and vitamin C contents and color parameters were assessed at one week intervals for 16 weeks. Results were analyzed with SPSS software in 95% confidence level. The analysis of the data indicates that the color quality decreased with time while HMF content shows an increasing trend. The vitamin C shows a decreasing trend with time and increasing temperature. The trend of color change in samples stored in refrigerated and freezing conditions were almost the same. Furthermore, sodium metabisulfit shows its color protecting effect only at higher storage temperatures (25 and 35^oC) and during final weeks of storage. In the present study the changes on pH and total solid content of the samples regardless of storage temperature and condition was negligible.

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Fig juice was concentrated by various heating methods. Dried figs were soaked in water with three different temperatures and finally filtered. The final juice concentration of 65 ºBrix was achieved by heating in 10, 25 and 63 min using microwave, rotary vacuum and atmospheric heating processes, respectively.  The color changes during concentration processes were investigated. Total color differences, Hunter L*, a* and b* parameters were used to estimate the extent of color loss. L* and b* parameters decreased with time but a* and total color difference increased. It was observed that the severity of color loss was lower in microwave heating process than the others. Different types of kinetic models were also applied to the changes in color parameters. The combined model fitted very well with all parameters.  

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The overwintering conditions and cold tolerance of the Lime butterfly, Papilio demoleus L., are relatively unclear. In the present study, overwintering pupae were collected over several months, and changes in supercooling point (SCP), cold-hardiness, and body color were investigated. Also, some eggs were collected and reared in the laboratory, and then pupae were kept for 1-4 weeks at 0, 5, and 15 °C, and the changes in SCPs were studied. Shelters were prepared and installed in the field to check the overwintering sites. Also, the digestive tract was investigated before and at the beginning of the overwintering phase. The results showed that the SCP gradually decreased from -9 to -13 °C during the autumn months, and in lab-reared pupae treated at 0-5 °C, the SCP was reduced to -13 °C. None of the pupae survived at temperatures below the SCP, so this species uses a freeze avoidance strategy. As the weather gets cold, the color of most of the pupae (76.19%) tends to brown, while in the summer months, more than 80% of the pupae are green. The overwintering pupae emptied their ingested foods, and the contents of their digestive system before emptying contain Pseudomonas and Enterobacter species, both of which can act as ice nucleators. Ultimately, the relationship between these factors in adapting the pest to low temperatures was discussed.

 

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The aim of this study was optimization of almond kernels drying with infrared-vacuum dryer and microwave pretreatment using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The almond kernels were dried as thin layer with air temperatures of 30, 45 and 75°C vacuum pressures of 20, 40 and 60 kPa and microwave powers of 270, 450, and 630W. Design expert software was used to generate the experimental designs, statistical analysis, and regression models. The results showed that the optimum point for drying of almond kernels under infrared-vacuum dryer and microwave pretreatment with RSM method and considering the minimum value of shrinkage, energy consumption, and total color change as well as the maximum value of effective moisture diffusivity can be achieved at air temperature of 45°C, vacuum pressure of 34.04 kPa, and microwave power of 270W with 68% desirability and optimum point with GA method can be obtained at air temperature of 45°C, vacuum pressure of 34.05 kPa and microwave power of 270W.

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Fried food products are very popular due to their unique characteristics such as color, smell, taste and desirable texture. Controlling frying conditions and using edible hydrocolloid coatings (gums) is one of the best ways in reduction of oil uptake, moisture retention and improving the appearance properties of fried foods. In this study, different concentrations of wild sage seed gum (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%) were used to coating of zucchini slices during deep frying at 155, 170 and 185°C and the relationship between process parameters and the quality of final product were modeled by genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method. The results of this study showed that coating with wild sage seed gum reduced the oil uptake of the final product and in terms of appearance characteristics, the coated samples were lighter. Coating pretreatment maintained the final product moisture and the size of the samples coated with 1.5% gum was larger than the other samples (lower surface changes percent). This process was modeled by genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method with 2 inputs include wild sage seed gum concentration and frying temperature and 7 outputs  include oil percentage, moisture content, yellowness index (b^*), redness index (a^*), lightness index (L^*), color changes intensity (ΔE) and surface changes. The results of modeling showed that a network with 5 neurons in a hidden layer and using the sigmoid activation function can predict the physicochemical properties of fried zucchini slices. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the changes in the concentration of wild sage seed gum had the highest effect on the yellowness index and then on the surface color changes intensity index of fried zucchini slices. Also, the change of frying temperature has the highest effects on the color changes intensity and lightness indexes of fried samples.

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In this research, cantaloupe slices were divided into two groups, cantaloupe slice thickness of 5mm was divided into two categories: The first set without pre-treated and second set pre-treated with an ultrasound treatment for 15 min at 30 ° C in the hot air dryers once a constant temperature of 60, 70, 80°C and then the temperature was two steps. Two-step drying at first samples treated with 80°C and after a decline of 50 percent moisture product temperature to 50, 60 and 70° C was reduced. Finally Color changes and browning index products were examined. Results showed that the in density of browning the samples were dried at 70° C and were pre-treated with ultrasound was observed. Effect of ultrasound treatment on their diction changes color was significant and all treatment was ultrasound in both drying methods showed less discoloration. The use of ultrasonic pretreatment resulted in better tissue retention and further water absorption.

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In this work, to assess the temperature effect on dehydration parameters and physicochemical characteristics of mint leaves, the samples were dried at air temperatures of 40, 50 and 60°C and constant air flow rate of 1 m s^-1. Energy consumption of the process was also studied. Fick’s second law was used to model mass transport in the leaves during the process. Moisture diffusivity and coefficient of mass transfer were determined to vary in the range of 5.09×10^-9-1.73×10^-8 m² s^-1 and 1.59×10^-5-5.71×10^-5 kg_water m^-2 s^-1, respectively. Both of the mass transfer parameters were increased with increasing temperature. Higher temperatures caused more total color change and destruction of both chlorophyll and carotenoids. While the rehydration capacity of the dried leaves increased, the specific consumed energy of the process diminished with increasing drying air temperature.